Van drivers `flout rules in Northern Quarter'

TRAFFIC wardens have been told to step up their patrols in a city centre residential area after complaints that they were collaborating with van drivers to flout tough parking restrictions. The move follows complaints to Manchester Council.

PARKING attendants are patrolling a city centre street every half hour after complaints from residents of van drivers flouting the rules.

Phil Burke, chairman of the Northern Quarter Residents' Association, contacted Manchester Council after spotting vans parked all day on double yellow lines near a building site in Dorsey Street.

He accused the council of applying double standards by not giving parking tickets to the van drivers, when residents have been ticketed and had vehicles removed for parking in the same place.

Mr Burke said: "The vans are parking illegally in Dorsey Street breaking the parking restrictions. These are the same rules which the council is happy to enforce on residents, yet the parking wardens are happy to turn a blind eye.

"I have even seen wardens advising the workmen to open the vehicles' back doors and place wood against them to make it look as if they are having a delivery.

"The residents feel it's one rule for them and one rule for builders."

A spokeswoman for Manchester Council said: "We are actively enforcing parking restrictions in the area and parking attendants are visiting the site every half hour.

"We have spoken to the site manager and informed him of the parking restrictions which apply in the area and he is aware that illegally parked vehicles will receive parking tickets."